Kino Flo Announces True Match 3.0 Firmware Update

Need to get creative with your lights? Kino Flo has recently launched an update that allows photographers and filmmakers to play with a myriad of lighting effects. With the new TrueMatch® Firmware 3.0, Kino Flo’s LEDs can be easily utilized to produce a total of eight effects: Candle, Fire, TV, Police, Lightning, Paparazzi, Pulse and Scroll. Each mode also comes with extra options for even more tailored and realistic effects. Other key controls are rate control and a cue feature that can be triggered by the power button.

The free firmware upgrade can be downloaded beginning June 1, 2018.

See the press release below.

Kino Flo Plays with Fire…and other Lighting Effects

BURBANK, CA –Kino Flo brings Frankenstein to life! The company’s new TrueMatch® Firmware 3.0 introduces eight new lighting effects (FX) modes, including a version of Lightning called “Frankenstein”.

TrueMatch 3.0 transforms Kino Flo LED’s into Candle, Fire, TV, Police, Lightning, Paparazzi, Pulse and Scroll effects simulators with the press of a button. Each special effects mode comes with a choice of FX types. Lightning, for example, has “Storm” and “Frankenstein”. The Storm effect is modeled on the rate and amplitude of thunderstorm strikes, and Frankenstein displays brighter, more cinematic light flashes. There is also rate control, and a cue feature using the power button.

The official online link to the free upgrade is June 1, 2018.

Kino Flo has taken its time coding intuitive, hands-on software that’s like having an FX lighting console built into every LED controller. Presets in the TV setting, for example, are the result of hours measuring light and color variations on TV monitors throughout a programming day. In TV “Sports” setting, the lighting effect is bias in cooler, deeper saturated blues and greens, and the light variation simulates outdoor sporting action, such as football or rugby events. The TV mode also comes with “Movie” and “Music Video” pre-programmed lighting scenarios.

All eight of the FX modes have four memory buttons to store custom lighting effects, for a total of 32 FX presets.

“We wanted to take some of the same lighting effects that board operators program remotely for motion picture or television productions and make the effects accessible onboard our Celeb, FreeStyle and Diva-Lite LED products,” said Frieder Hocheim, president and founder of Kino Flo Lighting Systems. “We will continue to add features like FX lighting to our LED lighting systems to ensure customer’s Kino Flo lighting tools stay sharp.”

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More Modes

Following are settings and customizing tools on the other six FX modes:

Candle: Simulates a candle flame. It has “Interior” and a “Breeze” settings. Interior is a typical, small candle flicker. Breeze flickers as well, but with larger jumps in brightness.

Fire: Light mimics an open fire. Pre-programmed under Fire is “Firepit” and “Gas Fireplace”.

Paparazzi: Simulates random still photo camera flashes. Comes with “Red Carpet” and “Stalker”. Red Carpet has very quick, frequent and random flashes. Stalker flashes less frequently, with longer pauses between bursts. You can also use the Power button to cue flash effects.

Pulse: Repeats colors, like a flashing neon sign. There are no pre-programmed types for Pulse. Parameters are set by using the” Hue”, “Saturation”, “Rate”, and “Length” (LEN) controls in the Pulse mode menu.

Scroll: Light changes over a period of time. Like Pulse, there are no preset FX lighting types, but parameters are set using the “Time” and “Saturation” (SAT) controls in the Scroll mode menu.

In addition to the exciting new FX features, Kino Flo’s True Match® 3.0 firmware comes with other light control enhancements, such as an adjustable Frequency setting, duel Antenna controls for DMX wireless reception, color value sharing, and refined DMX dimming.

The default frequency setting on Kino Flo LED controllers is 30kHz, which generally is flicker free for most productions shooting on HD or film cameras up to 240 frames per second. However, with the new firmware, the frequency can be dialed up to 300kHz when shooting at higher frame rates and shutter speeds.

For clear, stable DMX wireless reception, Kino Flo LED’s come with two built in antennae. With TrueMatch 3.0, users can manually select the smaller, internal #1 PCB (printed circuit board) antenna, or elect to stay with the #2 EXT (external) antenna, the more powerful of the two antennae.

New mode features within the General Menu allow users to translate RGB values to Hue & Saturation values, and to make other settings changes that take effect only after exiting the General Menu.

Dimming & Color Consistency

Kino Flo has refined further its LED dimming and color controls. Already the leader in smooth, flicker free dimming systems, the new firmware profile ensures color compatibility from fixture to fixture even when light levels vary widely.

The industry has been asking for LED fixtures with a consistent, controlled dimming curve that doesn’t affect the color saturation when moving between 100% and 1% light output. The latest firmware update to the Kino Flo line of fixtures ensures a superior level of consistency.